There may be a lot of debate among fans as to who is the most clutch player in the NBA but the actual players have no doubt; it’s Mr. Kobe Bean Bryant.

Sports Illustrated recently asked 166 current NBA players, “Who do you want shooting with the game on the line?” and 74% said they wanted Kobe.

Here is how the voting broke down:

Kobe Bryant – 74%

Kevin Durant – 8%

Dwyane Wade – 3%

Ray Allen – 2%

Dirk Nowitzki – 2%

Now, those numbers don’t add up to 100% so I’m assuming there were a lot more players that got votes but didn’t break the 2% threshold.

So, Kobe’s own peers (players on other teams) want him talking the last shot. That should put the argument to rest, right?

Of course not!!

What do the Kobe Haters have to say? They have a lot to say.

The ink wasn’t even dry on the story when the haters came out. I saw these comments;

“Which players did they ask?” like that really mattered. These are guys that play night in and night out. They’ve been around and know who can do what. Even if they’re sitting on the bench, they’re watching the game.

“Kobe misses more than he makes.” All players miss more than they make. Nobody has a career shooting percentage of 60%. That’s like saying Babe Ruth struck out more times than he hit home runs so he sucks.

“Laker groupies have selective memories.” This one I don’t even understand. These are players, not fans.

“What about Derrick Rose?” Derrick Rose is having a great season. Kobe Bryant has had a great career. He’s hit big shots season after season. Maybe in 10 years Derrick Rose will have a career like that. It remains to be seen.

And it goes on and on. Kobe Haters can’t stand it when anything good happens to him. But we have come to expect that. The fact remains that even his opponents wish he was taking the last shot for them. Probably because they all want a Championship Ring, too. And Kobe has quite a few to spare.